RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET Disney Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz

BEING A PRINCESS

One of the most popular things since the trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet was released, is the appearance of the Disney Princesses. When Vanellope Von Schweetz runs into them, she learns some of the secrets that come with being a princess, like spontaneously breaking into song.

When Vanellope’s voice actor, Sarah Silverman, was asked about getting her own song in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Silverman said, “It was a dream come true. I couldn’t believe it. When you guys [speaking to Directors Moore and Johnston] told me I was going to have a song, we had already been recording for a while. I couldn’t believe it. And the music was written by Alan Menken and I got to meet him and work with him and rehearse with him. He played ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ for me to sing from my favorite. He wrote Little Shop of Horrors, my favorite. And of course, it’s like this Disney icon of iconic songs. But yeah. It was incredible. Then we recorded with a whole orchestra. Like you see in old timely movies. It was crazy. It was really the thrill of a lifetime.”

LIFE AS A PRINCESS

Later, Silverman was asked what it means to be a Disney Princess now and if it will affect her stand-up comedy post-Ralph Breaks the Internet. She replied, “Will it affect my act? Will it affect my attitude? I don’t know that it will affect my act. Although everything affects my act. Just living. But yeah. It’s a thrill.”

“And it’s something that the idea of Disney Princess, what makes it good is that it has grown and changed. That Disney has taken on progress and inclusivity and has grown and changed in positive ways. And where a classic Disney Princess, and really, this movie just faces it head on. Leans right into it. Well, you get saved by a man. And you’re in great distress. Your life is threatened. Then someone else saves you and then to all in one movie acknowledge all of that and then shatter it is so exciting.”

PRINCESS OF COMFORT

“And to get to be this kid who becomes like a princess with an attainable waist line, and wearing comfortable clothes. And I always like, as a [stand-up] comic, this is really going a different direction. But we end up in diners late at night after shows. And who also ends up at diners late at night are young girls, young people coming out of the clubs, dance clubs and stuff like that. I would see young women in half shirts and sky-high heels. And they’re freezing cold. They’re like this shivering. And their feet hurt. I just think. I just wish I could tell them that they don’t have to be uncomfortable to deserve love. Boys are not raised to think that they ever have to sacrifice comfort to be loved.”

“And it just always struck me. I would go oh. I would be in like my hoodie and jeans and just think, these girls don’t think that they can get love without this insane amount of physical discomfort. And I love that Vanellope kind of sheds light on these grown up princesses that are uncomfortable hanging out. And Twitter just announced, I mean, didn’t just announce. But someone was talking about it months and months ago. I said, yeah. She’s Jewish. I just made her Jewish. Now it’s canon which I enjoy. [LAUGHTER] Von Schweetz. I don’t know. Is that Jewish?”